Hair is never just hair.
In Strands of Control, a short film featuring a cast of diverse backgrounds—Asian, Black, and beyond—hair becomes the battleground where beauty, bias, and belonging collide. The film moves between real and artificial hair, personal rituals and public expectations, questioning how strands on our head can carry centuries of pressure.
For many, hair isn’t about fashion—it’s about survival. It’s about being “professional” enough, “normal” enough, or just invisible enough to pass through systems that weren’t designed for you.
Whether it’s the wig that helps someone blend in, or the natural texture that sparks unsolicited comments, Strands of Control looks at how appearance is shaped not only by personal taste, but by the unspoken codes of race, gender, and social approval.
This isn’t a hair tutorial. This is about the quiet violence of grooming norms, and the quiet strength it takes to reclaim them.
Credit and Special Thanks
Haowei Lee,
Ximan Tan,
Huiqun Xu,
Effy Xie,
Zinzi,
Baby Face,
Eireney,
Liwenxuan Xu,
Ciel Zhang,
Tang,
Andre J,
Xiangyu G,
Billie,
Zeyuan Z,
Kori,
Evie Izak,
Eylul Unver,
Siqi Zhuang,
Frida, Shijie W,
Ningyue Qian,
Asylum Chapel
